As the New York Giants prepare for their Christmas week matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, interim head coach Mike Kafka expressed full confidence in rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s ability to rebound from last week’s disappointing performance.

“Really, Jaxson, the whole offensive unit, myself, we all are — obviously, last week’s performance wasn’t to our standard,” Kafka told reporters Wednesday. “So, we came back to work today and yesterday dialed in on the game plan and emphasized the things that we need to get corrected.

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“Today’s a great day, a good work day in terms of getting out on the field, full speed, the timing, the rhythm, the communication, ramping that up as well… I’m expecting and anticipating a good work day today.”

Kafka, drawing from his experience coaching Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, emphasized the importance of the coach-quarterback relationship in navigating ups and downs.

“It’s extremely important,” he said. “I’ve been in those situations, seeing the game through the helmet that way and being able to give them my experiences, not only as a player but also as a coach and having to go through those ebbs and flows of a season or a game or a quarter or a series or a play.”

When asked if he was curious about Dart’s response to his first major struggle, Kafka was unequivocal.

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“No, I wouldn’t say I was curious. I knew exactly how he would respond, like he would respond to anything. The highs, the lows, he would respond the same way, with great attention to detail, urgency to get better,” he said. “Jaxson’s had that approach, our whole offense has had that approach, and he’s the leader of the ship.”

Kafka also stressed consistent messaging.

“The messaging is consistent. The highs and the lows, they’re all consistent. Where are the opportunities that we can learn from? Where are the opportunities we can grow from? And there’s plenty of things that he did well in that game, too,” he said. “So, I think the consistency of that dialogue and really where the points of emphasis for that game, kind of turning the page, and now what can we do to apply those same learning tools to this game?”

Addressing speculation about Dart’s freelance style being constrained, Kafka pushed back firmly.

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“We want to give our players the ability to express themselves on the field to the best of their abilities and let their natural ability show,” he said. “You take those rules, and then you give it to the players, and then they elevate it, and they put their own stamp on it.”

He added that he has heard no frustration from the rookie.

“No, no, we talk almost every day on a personal level, and then obviously on a football level,” Kafka said. “I’m right there arm-in-arm with him in terms of our operation.”

With two games remaining in a challenging season, Kafka believes Dart and the offense are poised for a strong response.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ Mike Kafka expects bounce-back game from Jaxson Dart